Introduction to Field Target

Introduction to Field Target
Joe McDaniel
Match Director
DIFTA
1. Why I Like FT
Simple – you hit the target, it falls down.
Complex -- To do well requires knowledge of physiology, physics, and psychology. It
also requires a lot of practice (for me, anyway).
Requires good shooting – this is a precision shooting sport. There are major things that
are involved such as having a good rifle and scope, but the minor things are just as
important and seem to be almost endless. I hurt my trigger finger nail one day and had a
Band-Aid on it. To shoot, I was forced to move my trigger position close to the knuckle.
It seemed like I was shooting well even with this handicap but when I removed the BandAid and went back to shooting off the ball of my finger I was surprised that my shooting
deteriorated! A ¼” (or less) movement of the trigger position caused a significant
difference in my shooting! This is but one example of the exploration of things that can
affect shooting.
It is an outdoor sport. Most matches are from March through November and you are
outdoors during the best part of the year. Yes, you do get the occasional problem with
insects, heat, or other realities of Mother Nature, but most of the time this is a great way
to spend some time outside.
I have yet to shoot with someone I have not found interesting, and usually they are more
than just interesting. When you are (typically) squaded with three people, the two not
shooting are often chatting (and watching to see if you hit the target and offering
encouragement when you do…). A lot of the time, they are discoursing about something
of interest and you will get your turn, too. While this may sound like a distraction, there
are many during a match and you must learn to tune out what will bother your shooting.
1
2. Brief History of FT
Field Target shooting got its start in the early 1980's when a handful of British airgunners
attempted to create a new sport to simulate hunting with an airgun. Metal targets in the
shape of typical airgun quarry were placed at typical airgun hunting distances. A paper
target was placed on the kill area of the animal. Competitors shot at the target and then a
judge went down to score the hits and replace the paper kill zone.
This worked well when there were only a few shooters. As the sport grew, the
interruption caused by going downrange to score each competitor was limiting. Using a
target that could be reset from the firing line with a cord sped up the scoring process, thus
allowing more shooters the fun of shooting. The fact that the 1/8” plate steel targets
sounded and fell back when hit added immensely to shooter satisfaction and spectator (?)
appeal.
Shooters began customizing their favorite airguns and the technology race was on! Gun
manufacturers began to claim that their modifications were just what the field target
shooter needed to get “one up” on his competition. From this race was born a new breed
of airguns; guns that would shoot very accurately at ranges of 50 yards, and with
adequate power (maximum 12 foot pounds due to English government regulation) to
knock down those metallic targets.
Today, thousands of British airgunners travel all over England every weekend to compete
in field target matches, a very “Informal” version of precision match shooting.
Field target shooting came to the U.S. in the mid 1980's, appearing almost simultaneously
in California and Florida. Florida hosted the first U.S. Championships in 1987, in West
Palm Beach. This match was so well accepted that a small hard-core group of airgunners
formed the AAFTA (American Airgun Field Target Association), and immediately
scheduled the next Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana in June of 1988.
Field Target came to the WAC in 1997??? mostly at the instigation of Tom Gaylord. We
currently host some 10 or so matches per year (roughly 1/month during shooting weather
from late March through early November). Classes in most matches include Hunter,
Piston, and Open (usually PCP but if someone wants to shoot piston in this class, that is
OK). If we have enough entries, Off Hand and Junior classes are offered.
2
3. Requirements
Rifle – Piston or PCP although a pump or CO2 could be used if you are not expecting to
be particularly competitive. $100 to $3000 but the USFT is $1650.
Pellets – about $.01/shot
Scope -- $100 to $1000.
Bum Bag (if not shooting Hunter) or Crossed sticks (Hunter) -- $13 to ??.
Targets and a Course -- $5/match at WAC. Usually about $10/match most places.
Nationals and big matches are usually about $75.
3
4. Safety
The usual rules for gun safety apply for airguns, even single-shot models such are are
typical in FT.
If possible, open the breech or loading port so that it is obvious that the gun is safe. For
break-barrel guns, “break” the barrel (don’t cock, just a sleight break).
When moving between lanes, keep the muzzle pointed downrange as much as possible if
carrying in a box or carrier. Otherwise, muzzle down or up as with any other gun.
When loading any spring/piston gun, always keep your hand on the cocking lever or
barrel. Even with anti-bear trap mechanisms, these can release and chop off a finger or
bend the barrel.
Ricochets are possible – we encourage wearing safety glasses. Ricochets are most likely
when you have a split or hit the face of the target. Also, close targets are worse than far
targets.
4
5. Etiquette and Tips
While talking is pretty much the norm, please be respectful of others and keep your voice
volume low. If someone asks for quiet, please respect their needs. The British rules say
“no coaching or barracking” – we don’t have such a rule. Coaching is pretty typical for
new shooters and nobody does much barracking (heckling in the States) but some gentle
leg-pulling is not out of line.
When moving between lanes, wait for a shooter to take his shot before moving past. It is
OK to move past between shots – you don’t have to wait for them to finish the lane.
Score cards are marked with an X or O – X indicates a hit, O a miss. For Junior Class
shooters the usual scoring is 0 points for a complete miss of the target, 1 for hitting the
face, and 2 for putting the target down. The scoring is usually O, /, and X, respectively.
You will probably want to bring water and possibly food – matches often take several
hours. DIFTA typically has 72 shots in a match, so even if you could shoot as fast as
possible, it would probably take about 2 hours – typical matches take about 4 to 5 hours.
We usually actually start shooting about 10am and finish about 2 to 3pm).
Some matches use a timer. Typically the time per lane is 1 minute per shot and 1 minute
to setup. Thus, a 6-shot lane would have a time limit of 7 minutes. Timing starts when
your butt hits the bag or you address the shooting position if an off-hand lane. The time
limits are almost never a consideration for most shooters – if you are organized and
methodical about your shooting, you can easily finish a lane with time to spare.
At DIFTA, we give a $5 discount for people that help setup. In practice, most everyone
helps tear down. Just like helping with the dishes if you are invited to dinner, be nice to
your hosts (match directors shoot for free but put in a lot of time designing the course,
maintaining targets, etc. and really appreciate help).
Normally, we shoot from near target to far target. If you want to shoot in some other
order, just announce your plans before shooting. For instance, if there is one off-hand
target in a lane, many people will either shoot it first or last – last is most typical since
you can range it while sitting and save the down-up-down to range, shoot the off-hand,
then shoot the sitting targets.
For multiple off-hand shots in a lane you can range the far and middle targets and
memorize the distances (or write them down). You range the near target last and then you
shoot near to far resetting the scope and elevation (don’t forget this!) for the middle and
far targets. This saves a lot of time and physical effort on such lanes.
When confronted with a dark target, you can often gain enough visibility to shoot by
lowering the magnification of your scope. Basically, the light getting to the eye will
increase when you lower the magnification. I have found that it is far better to see where
you are shooting than to shoot more-or-less blindly at 40X (for instance). I did some
experimentation one day shooting a target at 55 yards at 40X down to 8X in 8X steps.
Until I go to 8X my scores were about the same – at 8X they deteriorated. I know that
many will argue with me, but I firmly believe that you will be better off at 16X, for
instance, seeing the target (even if smaller) than at 32X or more and seeing a gray blob
with maybe a kill zone in it somewhere.
5
6. Rifles
6.1.
General Specifications
Accuracy (~.2” or better at 30 Yards)
.177 (.20 or .22 is OK but speed and size disadvantage)
20FPE maximum power (926 fps with .177 CPH; 800fps with .20/.22 CPH)
Scope mounts
Powerplant:
•
Piston (spring, usually) or
•
Precharged compressed air (PCP) are the two most common power plants.
•
CO2 doesn’t work well for FT because the power is generally somewhat lower
(not always) and it doesn’t work well when the temperature is below 65 or
above 95 Fahrenheit (both of which can happen on a single day of FT
shooting).
•
Can you use your pump, CO2, or whatever – sure, just don’t expect to be
competitive unless you are the world’s best shooter.
6.2.
Piston
Beeman R9 ~ $260 - $325
HW97 ~ $430
Air
Arms TX200 ~ $480 (without a scope!)
Pros
Cheaper
6
No tanks, etc.
Most common in Hunter Class
Cons
Not quite as accurate but shoots in a separate class.
Somewhat harder than PCP guns to shoot well.
6.3.
Pre-Charged Pneumatic
Air Arms S200 ~ $400 without the scope. The S200 is only about 12fpe and roughly
equivalent in power to many of the piston guns.
The only cheaper PCP gun is the Chinese-made X50 which costs about $300. This has
more power than the S200.
Air Arms EV2 ~ $1800 (only in 12fpe version)
7
Falcon FN19 ~$1200 (no scope)
Daystate MK3 FT ~ $1700 (no scope)
The factory Steyr LG100FT ~ $1775 (no scope). -- The tendency is to ship them to Allen
Zasadny or some other tuner for tweaking eventually and you are then at about the same
price as if you bought directly from Allen Zasadny. Most of the 10 Meter target gun
makers have a FT version for a similar price. Very few are considered to be equivalent to
what you can get from a custom modifier for not much more.
Steyr LG100ZM ~$2000 (no scope) in a base model to more like $3000 as shown with
the knee rest, angled hand-grip, and arm hook. Allen can provide the gun complete with a
scope and calibration – ready to shoot. Thomas Jones is selling his like this for $1800
8
(unless already sold). Some used ones are likely to be available now that the USFT is
being shipped.
USFT ~$1650 from http://www.mac1airgun.com/usft.htm – probably the best buy
available today. Not your standard gun! If you want something that looks “normal” don’t
get this gun. [On the other hand, the Steyr is hardly a “normal” gun but I have grown
used to it and similar 10M models…] The USFT (nee the LDSS) was designed by Larry
Durham to be a very accurate, very efficient field target gun. It is! You can get ½” of
better groups at 55 yards (depending on the shooter – the gun is guaranteed to be able to
do this when delivered) and it shoots at a relatively low pressure (1600psi or so) and gets
about 90 shots on a fill. From an accuracy and efficiency viewpoint, this gun is
unbeatable.
Pros
Most accurate airguns, but PCP guns shoot in the Open or PCP class which is separate
from the piston guns.
Most innovation occurs in PCP since they are simpler to build (not necessarily cheaper
because of this).
Cons
Needs a source of compressed air (tank or pump) – figure at least $100 for a pump and
$200 to $400 for a tank. You will be far happier with a 4300 to 4500psi tank. They hold a
lot more usable air -- if you fill a gun to 3000psi and your tank is “empty” when it gets to
(say) 2600psi, and then you will only get a few fills from a 3000psi tank while the
4500psi tank will last through many fills. The best buy is the 4300 Luxfor 106 cu ft 4300
psi tank but it weighs about 50 pounds. A 4500 psi carbon fiber (aluminum internally)
tank is about 20 pounds and hold 88 cu ft.
PCP guns tend to be the most expensive although the Air Arms S200 costs about same as
top piston guns and a Whiscombe piston gun costs as much as a PCP.
9
7. Pellets
Crosman Premier – widely regarded as one of the most accurate pellets available. Also,
widely regarded as one of the worst pellets from a quality control point of view. Very
dirty as received – almost everyone washes and then lubricates them (all pellets have
some lubrication as a result of the manufacturing process – if you wash off the
lubrication, the lead will oxidize and leave as much or more guck in your barrel as if you
did nothing to the pellet). There are two forms of this pellet, the CPH (Crosman Premier
Heavy) is about 10.5 grains in weight and is mostly used in PCP guns. The CPL (“Light”)
is mostly used in piston or low-powered PCP (like the AA S-200) guns.
JSB Exact is becoming one of the most popular pellets. It is clean, consistent (good
factory quality control), and accurate. It does not need washing but many people do
lubricate them. It is available in both Heavy and Light weights. It has exceptional
ballistics characteristics (not saying a lot because all pellets are incredibly bad
ballistically because of the small diameter and the badminton shuttlecock shape). Still,
compared to the CPH, these are much better. JSB Exact Heavy pellets have been hard to
find lately. They only became available last year and the supply dried up until the
manufacturer in Czech Republic catches up.
Beeman Kodiak Match pellets (same as the H&N Barracuda) are clean, consistent, and
accurate.
All of these pellets can be (and are) used very successfully in FT today. The choice is one
of which shoots best in your gun (and some guns seem to not like some pellets for some
reason) and how much you are willing to tolerate dirt and manufacturing consistency.
Another note – when you find a pellet you and your gun like, buy lots. When your stock
gets down to, say, 6-months or so (3,000 pellets? – you do shoot a lot, right?), buy at least
another year’s supply. You never know when a shortage may occur.
Good sources for pellets are D and R (Crosman and Beeman) and Top Gun Air Gun
(JSBs). Especially for JSBs, you may have to look around and buy what you can find for
a while.
7.1.
Most important criteria for a good pellet
Accuracy – while a lot of good shooting is up to the shooter, having a good rifle and a
consistent pellet can be a huge factor. I have seen my Steyr LG100ZM spray pellets all
over about a 1” circle at 30 yards when I start shooting JSB Exact Heavies much faster
than about 900fps. Pointed pellets are notorious for sometimes being inaccurate.
As an example, Rada Plesinger tested 12 different .22 pellets in the same gun and under
the same conditions (as much as possible). His results will not correlate to your gun and
pellet size but the information is useful to show just how much difference just the pellet
can make:
Pellet
Group Size (Inches)
RWS Superpoint
.204
10
Barracuda
.268
JSB Exact 5.52
.274
Diabolo Pointed H&N
.288
Silver Ace
.330
JSB Straton 5.50
.349
JSB Exact 5.51
.368
Silver Jet
.377
Crossman Premier Die #1
.410
RWS Superdome
.507
RWS H-Point
.675
Silver Arrow
The group for this pellet was so
erratic he could not measure it.
Ballistics – a high ballistics coefficient (BC) means that your pellet will still be going
faster downrange than one with a lower BC assuming both left the barrel at the same
speed. This will mean both fewer clicks (or holdover) and less windage (less time in the
wind means less effect from the wind). Published BCs for the above pellets range from
.020 to .035 with the JSB Exact Heavies being as high (or much higher in my experience)
than most other pellets.
Speed (which is really largely a function of weight). Heavier pellets will be slower
assuming a (relatively) constant power. Some people think that heavier pellets will be
less-affected by the wind but the longer a pellet is in flight, the more the wind will push it
sideways. Hence, my money would go to a pellet the will leave the gun at least 800fps.
There is no sense using a heavier than required pellet as long as sufficient energy is
delivered to the target at 55 yards (and most well-designed targets will fall with just a few
foot-pounds – a common test is to use a 10 meter pistol to see if the target will fall and
these put out about 4fpe).
7.2.
Pellet Cleaning
Pellet washing is usually only needed for Crosman pellets. They are very dirty at least
when you buy in bulk (1250 pellet boxes). You can clean them by washing with a
detergent or solvent. The residue is at least partially lead dust – dispose of the debris with
used pellets.
If you use a solvent, you can recycle the lead and the solvent just by pouring all the guck
and solvent back into the original container. The guck will sink to the bottom and the
clean (enough) solvent can be reused. This will clean a lot of pellets until you have to
worry about getting rid of the guck (lead dust) safely.
You can spread the pellets out on paper towels if you use water to wash. If you use a
solvent (paint thinner, whatever), they will quickly dry in the can if you leave the lid off.
11
Once they are dry it is time to lubricate (otherwise they will oxidize so this is a must if
you wash).
7.3.
Lubrication
Krytech (Finishline bicycle chain lube) is very popular and works with both piston and
PCP guns. Piston guns tend to Diesel (burn oil) and will sound like a .22 if there is too
much oil in the piston or chamber. Krytech dries and is waxy (basically, a Teflon
material) so it works fine in all guns. Krytech was tested by Larry Durham and found to
be the only lube that improved accuracy. All lubes help with keeping the barrel clean.
1Lube is oilier. This is the lubrication recommended by Allen Zasadny.
Technique for application: Start with a large pellet tin or a ½ filled tin (or any other
container that will hold about twice as many pellets as you want to treat). Put a few drops
(3 or 4, do not fill the lid!) in lid of the tin. Put the lid on and tumble for a minute or so to
distribute the lubrication on all the pellets. You can then leave the lid off and let the
pellets dry in the same tin or pour them into some other tin. Leave the lid off (especially
for piston guns) and let them dry. When dry, you can shoot them safely in a piston gun.
For a PCP, you can shoot them immediately but most people let them dry for a few hours.
12
8. Bum Bag or Stool
Some Bum Bags from Airguns of Arizona web pages
(http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/). Very hard to find many sources for these. I like
foam pellets but some people swear by cork and other fills. Foam pellets compress over
time (but most fills probably do). You should buy more than enough fill than needed for
the initial filling. Also, fill to excess initially as it will pack down fast the first few times
you sit on it.
http://www.straightshooters.com/logun/logunbuttseat.html has the Logun bag for $40.
Another popular option (from Cabela’s for $13). Many people cut off about an inch or so
of the legs on one side (not both on the same end) so that they can level the seat by
rotating it. DIFTA has a fairly sloping set of lanes with lanes 1-9 forcing people to have
their feet higher than their butt unless they use a fairly thick bag or stool. I have not tried
the stool but it is popular with quite a few people.
Also used – Steve Schulz swears by some towels folded into a backpack (he won the
Nationals 3 years ago).
A chair or other place to sit while others in your squad are shooting is very handy!
13
9. Beyond the Requirements
These pictures show a shooter using a strap (Airguns of Arizona web pages
(http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/)) to help support his position. This is not a
requirement for shooting well. If you have back problems, this can (reportedly) help with
the sitting position (or you could shoot Hunter class).
FT shooting requires a fair amount of flexibility (less so for Hunter). If you follow a
regimen of stretching and strengthening exercises, you can both shoot better and have
fewer back problems. I highly recommend the exercise approach as using something like
the sling above may help but you will still have back problems in other situations. My
approach to shooting is based on the Steve Schulz model – if Steve can shoot “naked” (no
aids at all) and win, then I should be able to do the same thing. Steve is probably a
“natural” shooter (or, at least, has a lot more experience than I do) but I aspire to get as
much out of my equipment as possible without resorting to “the dark side” and using a
harness.
I have gone to the “gray side” by using a shooting coat. This is the difference between
being a 40T and a 60T shooter for me. I have a fairly rapid heartbeat and think (the
psychological aspect may be predominating) that this helps give me a small edge over
just fairly heavy clothing. Coats are fairly expensive -- $250 to $500 new – so don’t go
down this approach until you are pretty sure you have done everything else your body,
14
gun, and pellets can do. I got a used coat for $75 that was an incredible bargain but these
are fairly form-fitting so just any old coat won’t necessarily work for you.
15
10. Sticks (Hunter Class)
Cabela’s or similar stores carry these or just use a pair of crossed sticks held with a
rubber band.
16
11. Barrel Cleaning
Basically, this is only needed if you are not shooting lubed pellets. As a rule, you only
need to clean when accuracy deteriorates.
When you clean, do not use a metal rod as they can damage crown (the muzzle). They
can also damage the lands. General consensus is to use a pull-through (Boresnake or
Crown Saver).
If you have a moderator/deflector/dust-collector/whatever on the barrel, you can use a
plastic straw to help feed the plastic string or cord through the barrel. I cut off the end of
the brass weight on my Boresnake so it will fit into my breech.
A cheap and effective pull-through for cleaning airguns can be made from a length of
.080 weed whacker cord. The plastic cord will not harm the rifling or crown like a
cleaning rod will. To make the pull-through you first cut your length and make sure to cut
an angle on one end. This angle (point) is used to puncture a patch when cleaning. The
other end is melted into a blob using a lighter. I heat up the end then press it against a
metal surface to create a flat pad on the end. Then I use a nail file to contour the pad into
a size that will perfectly fit the guns bore. File the pad around its perimeter and keep
checking the fit in the bore.
When all is completed, a patch is pierced with the sharp end of the cord and slid down to
the pad. Then the sharp end is fed into the breach like a regular pull-through. This type of
pull-through can be fed into short breach areas where a regular unit cannot because of
inflexible metal ends.
You can buy this sort of pull-through from various sources (mac1airgun.com is always a
good place). Another commercial solution is the Boresnake but get one without the brass
brushes. (Mine came without brass brush but it could probably be removed fairly easily if
necessary.) WallMart carries the Boresnake ($12 or so, I think it was) and at least the one
for .177 did not have the brass bristles.
For all methods, if you want, you can put a bit of solvent on the Boresnake or on patches
if using them (I use a few drops of 1Lube if anything). Also, I had to cut the Boresnake
weight about in-half so it would fit into my breech.
17
12. Scopes
12.1.
General requirements
Objective: 40+mm. Bigger is better since you get a brighter image and the depth-of-field
is reduced for better focusing with larger objectives. Optical quality can override
diameter (for instance, everyone claims the Bushnell 4200 is as bright as any scope – I
have no experience with this myself but the Bushnell is very popular even with the best
shooters).
Power: 24X minimum – 32 to 60X is perhaps better but a lot of people have won a lot of
matches with 32 to 35X scopes. Focusing might be a bit better at higher magnifications
but the image brightness decreases as magnification increases so there is a limit of how
useful increased power can be. Zoom eyepieces are not (usually) of the same optical
quality as fixed eyepieces – hence the popularity of fixed-power scopes such as the
Nightforce 36X, Leupold Competition 35X, and Sightron 36X. The Leupold Competition
comes in 40X and 45X but nobody uses those (probably because the image gets too dim).
Reticule: Mildot is very nice for windage although only Hunter Class people use the
elevation marks. Since the dot spacing usually varies (on the target) with changes in the
eyepiece magnification, you will need to always shoot at a constant power to really use
these very well. (A few scopes have the reticule placed so the dot spacing is constant with
eyepiece zoom.) Most scopes can be modified to have the reticule replaced with a mildot
for about $100. Other reticules can be used but you probably want something with fairly
thin lines in the middle such as the Bushnell examples for the Multi-X, Firefly (a
luminescent reticule), the ¼ MOA, or the European. Having some way to “measure off” a
fixed distance such as is the design for a Mil Dot is handy but not mandatory for windage
guestimation. Illuminatd reticules are nice when shooting in really dark situations but the
need is relatively rare, especially if you have a good scope (with a large objective lens
that lets in lots of light).
30mm tubes are somewhat better than 1” (25.4mm) since more light can get through a
bigger tube and (probably more important) you can get more clicks in a larger tube.
18
Focusing (Parallax correction/Adjustable Objective) – the last thing you want is for your
target to shift position with a shift in your eye position. This will happen if your scope is
not focused on the target. Also, focusing is the only allowed way for range finding (no
laser range finders although there was a scope with built-in range finding for about $4000
several years ago that is probably legal). There are three ways to focus:
Front (1 or 2-turn) – you turn the objective housing to focus. Two (or more) turns makes
for more precise focusing by spreading out the scale at the farther distances (especially 45
to 55 yards) but means more turning. Only Sightron, Nightforce 36X, and Unertl scopes
have multi-turn focusing.
Side – a knob on the left (usually) side of the scope (like this Leupold Competition)
where the elevation and windage knobs are also found is used for focusing. For some
scopes (BSA, Nikko Sterling) even with a very large add-on knob (extra cost – only
about a 3” knob comes with the scope) the distance from 45 to 55 yards may be as small
as about ¼” or so. The Tasco and Hakko are a bit better. The only side focus (that I know
of) that really spreads this scale out is the Leupold Competition. In virtually all cases, a
large wheel is purchased if one does not come with the scope.
Rear – the advantages are minimal: not having to reach forward to the front bell. The
disadvantages are large – difficult to accurately read distances (high-precision scale). Not
recommended unless you have a handicap.
19
Side wheel from www.pyramidair.com – not sure it fits all scopes but they have some
good prices on scopes, too. Unfortunately, most of their scopes max out at 12 to 16X.
Rick Lake of Lake Precision Machining up in Hagerstown, MD ((301) 790-4022 and
[email protected]) makes custom knobs for about $75 (I suspect you only get it made
for you for that price – not that you have options galore). Allen Zasadny (847)838-0187
makes them, too.
Target Knobs – if you are going to use your elevation knob for adjusting your aim point
of impact for distance (highly recommended for non-Hunter shooters), then Target Knobs
are essential. These knobs can be easily adjusted at all times while some scopes use a
coin or screwdriver adjustment and have a screw-on cap.
You will probably want a large knob to extend the elevation knob’s diameter to make it
easier to put a longer (easier to read) scale on your knob. Another approach is to code
your distance scale with the knob setting (basically ignoring actual distance). If your
distance scale measures in yards, then your elevation knob is calibrated in “yards.” If
20
your distance scale measures clicks, then all you need is a target knob that is easy to reset
to a specific setting. Sources include Airguns of Arizona
(http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/Scope%20Accessories.html), A-Team
(http://users.bestweb.net/~ateamray/index.htm), Allen Zasadny (847)838-0187, and Rick
Lake of Lake Precision Machine, Inc. ([email protected] or 301-790-4022).
For all scopes, the distance scale that comes with the scope is usually ignored and people
either manually make marks on paper/plastic/etc. noting the distances. One technique is
to make a scale like one can do ballistics – do it for every 5 yards and interpolate the oneyard marks between. Another technique valid only for front-focus scopes is to generate a
scale since the distance turned is a simple function of the distance to the target
(proportional to 1/distance).
If sunlight on your eyepiece causes problems (it does), this is a good solution that is
shown on a video camera. It works great on a scope and works with glasses. This is
basically a cloth hood that fits over your eyepiece) that will fit any scope. It will push
forward out of the way if not needed. It is available from http://www.i-cuff.com/buy.html
for $29.95.
Hunter Class Has Limits on Power/Usage with a maximum of 12X and no “clicking”
(but Mildot OK). If you have a zoom eyepiece scope, you are allowed to set it to 12X or
lower and shoot without modifying that setting during the match.
Piston Guns require special scopes -- reverse kickback from a piston gun (these guns
kick forward rather than backward – not the case for TX200, HW97, or Wiscombe) is
tough on scopes and not all scopes can handle this. Look for “airgun rated” scopes or
check for unlimited guarantee. If it is being used on your gun for serious shooting, the
scope is probably OK.
12.2.
Scope Suggestions
B&L/Bushnell Elite 4200 8-32X40 ~ $500. This is generally considered the “best buy”
in FT scopes.
21
Sightron 6-24X44, 36X44; 2-turn focusing ~$400. Excellent quality and the only 2-turn
focusing scope available today except for Unertl (which nobody uses for some reason –
might be price and availability).
Hakko/Nikko Sterling 8-40X56, 10-60X60 ~$922. The Nikko is available in the US but
the Hakko is difficult to find (try Canadian suppliers). The Nikko is basically the same as
the old BSA Platinum. The Hakko is basically the same as the Tasco Custom Shop. (Both
scopes used are about $400+). The Hakko is very popular in the UK; the Nikko is pretty
popular in the US. Quality seems to be iffy for the Nikko – I would get one from Alan
Zasadny or someone that will select and calibrate even if it costs a bit more (unless I
could select from several scopes before buying).
Leupold 20-50X50 ~ $1000 from Premier Reticules (Leupold scope is roughly doubled in
power. The reticule can be replaced with mildot or whatever you want when buying).
Leupold Competition 35X45 ~$1000. If you want mildot, then Premier Reticules is the
source for this scope. This is a very popular scope among top FT shooters.
Nightforce 36X56 (only available used ~$1200). This scope was especially designed for
FT but is no longer available new. It has 2-turn focusing. I missed one for $650 on eBay
once (DOH!).
12.3.
Scope Mounts
BKL – Almost undoubtedly the best and not expensive (~$47.50/set) Order direct
(http://www.bkltech.com) or through most airgun shops.
Reach Forward available for cases where you need room for side wheels
Double strap models are cooler looking but not needed even for piston guns.
22
A scope level is highly recommended. This one screws into the side of the BKL mounts
but others are available that will work with any mount. An electronic one is available that
fits onto your eyepiece so you can see if your scope is level while sighting (also claims to
be more accurate).
Because of the close distances we shoot (relative to the scopes being used, anyway), it is
often necessary to tip the scope eyepiece up a bit relative to the barrel axis. You can buy
mounts with this angle designed into them from BKL or Mac1Airguns.com. You can
usually shim you rear mount with a layer or two of aluminum can metal as a substitute.
(The disadvantage of shimming is that the scope mounts are not aligned with the scope
tube any longer and can put stress on the scope tube. There is a chance that you could
dent or put mount marks on your scope by shimming but unless you need more than one
or two layers of can, I don’t think this is a problem.
The scope reticule should be centered to adjust the slant/shimming. Turn the knobs all the
way from one end to the other, counting the turns. Turn back ½ the counts for each knob.
This should center the reticule. Now shoot at 25 to 30 yards and adjust your point-ofimpact by shimming rather than by using the elevation knob (you can adjust the windage
just using the knob).
For the BKL solution, you center the reticule and measure the distance between your aim
point and point-of-impact and BKL builds you a set of mounts with the cant designed into
them. You can also buy canted mounts that will probably be good enough.
23
13. Targets for Home Practice
Dick Otten “Popper” ~ $55. http://fieldtargets.com or at Roanoke. I have had one for
almost 2 years and have put a lot of pellets into it. My trigger paddle is almost worn
through so even the best targets don’t last forever in FT. This (and most) such targets can
be repaired with some welding or other minor metalwork – the two areas of wear are the
trigger (if you hit it often) or the hole (if you miss or have splits a lot). For DIFTA, it is
usually the hole that wears. For home, it will (should?) be the trigger paddle. I initially
shot 30T (30 yards/1” hole equals 30 Troyers) – when you get up to 70% or better, start
shooting 45T or 60T. Do shoot both short and long – there is a psychological element for
me when I shoot at a small hole (1/4” for this target ) at 10 yards (40T). Psychologically,
I prefer shooting at ½” at 30 yards (60T) far more than the small, close shots. My brain
thinks there is more wiggle room for the larger hole at the longer distance even though it
is actually a harder shot.
IFP for Paper Practice (PDF file on CD or a 30 and 55 yard target are at the end). The
advantage of IFP for FT (in my opinion) is that for FT shooting you do not have a precise
aim point. (People will argue about this including claiming they are aiming at a speck of
lead…). IFP is a close simulation of this and it does make a difference not having a
precise aim point. In general, the inner circles are 60T in difficult, the outer 30T. If you
can shoot 40 or above, you are very ready for FT. (Scoring is “outer” and you get 2 points
if your pellet is entirely within the outer edge of the inner circle, 1 point for the same on
the outer circle, 0 otherwise – to get 50 is to have all pellets inside the small circle. The
top score is 49 by Alan Zasadny shooting in a tunnel.)
24
Pellet Trap (Champion ~ $55, Beeman ~ $69, Outers ~ $85 but they seem to be identical
and are all rated for .22 rim fire) – the “airgun” traps may not hold up but this one does).
These are heavy so getting one locally may be worth the extra effort. I have an Outers
brand trap that sits outside year-round and does not rust, dent, or do anything but work
just like it should. Some other traps claim to be quieter, cleaner, easier to load, whatever.
I want something that works and lasts. I do feel it is necessary to have a backing if you
are using this indoors to cut down on the mess (lead splatters, paper shreds, etc.).
Room to shoot: 10 to 55 Yards is what you need. In general, the longer the better for FT
practice because the longer shots are usually the hardest both because of the Troyer rating
and because wind is much more of an effect. IFP targets are available for 10 Yards and
other distances – the 10 yard targets are almost impossible to score because the pellet is
as large as the inner hole. In most cases, you can get 10 yards in your basement. If you
are lucky enough to live in an area with tolerant neighbors and/or no restrictions on
airgun shooting in the back yard (Frederick County but not Montgomery), so much the
better.
25
14. Clubs
DIFTA
DAFTC – Harrisonburg, VA
Brookhaven in PA (all offhand)
Delran NJ (seems to be somewhat inactive for FT lately)
AAFTA for more clubs. Being a member only costs $25/year.
26
15. What’s Easy/Hard?
15.1.
Troyers
Troyer Rating is target distance in yards divided by kill zone size in inches (times some
fudge factors)
Easy: 10T (1” at 10Yds, 2” at 20 Yds)
Moderate: 25T to 35T (1” at 30Yds, ½” at 15Yds, 2” at 55 Yds)
Hard: 45T to 60T (1” at 55 Yds or ½” at 30 Yds)
Fudge factors: 2X Standing, 1.5X Kneeling or wind, 1.25X more than 40 Yards. There
can be multiple factors such as windy and kneeling and 40+ yards which is 1.5 X 1.5 X
1.25 or 2.8125 so a 2” target at 40 yards, kneeling, and under windy conditions would be
40 / 2 X 2.8125 or 56.25T which is a very hard shot.
15.2.
Course Design
When designing a course, one is confronted with trying to fit a combination of existing
targets (DIFTA has some 60) with varying distances. In practice, we rarely move the
target positions (a lot, anyway) but pick targets to vary the difficulty of the course. Too
hard a course is not much fun for anyone (read 45+ Troyer average difficulty). Similarly,
too easy (say 20T average) is not much fun for the better shooters. The solution is to have
a range of difficulties with an average of about 25T to 35T but some (maybe 1/lane) that
are easier and 1/lane that is harder (40T+). It is not necessary to have a lot of harder
targets to separate the best shooters scores – a course of all 40T would probably not be
“cleaned” in 72 shots.
At DIFTA, I like to have a lane of all off-hand (standing). This is more difficult than, say,
having three off-hand shots spread among the lanes but does not require that you shift
positions at a lane. (It is allowed to range while sitting – just range from far to near and
remember the two far distances. Then stand up and shoot near to far.)
15.3.
What to expect at a match
You won’t clean the course. You won’t have a zero. You will probably hit about 25% or
so when you start but you should progress to about 60% (for piston and PCP classes)
pretty quickly once you figure out your gun and position.
After a year or so, you should be hitting 75% or better. The last 25% depends on how
serious you are.
The nice thing is that the fun begins with the first shot. There will be lots of chatting
especially among the people in a squad that are not shooting. Learning to maintain your
concentration is part of the game, I think. Nobody will intentionally try to distract you,
but it is very easy to get involved in the conversation (even if you are just listening) and
then you blow a shot (been there, done it many times).
27
16. Ballistics (Really Easy Way)
The above graph from Chairgun shows what is happening to a pellet when shot. Initially,
it is 2.18” below the aiming point if you are shooting at 0 yards (pretty hard to do) – this
is the distance between the center of the scope and the center of the barrel for my gun.
This distance is the dominate effect on ballistics until you get to about 30 yards.
Beyond 30 yards, then dominate effect is drag on the pellet. Also note that variations in
velocity, pellet weight, etc. have very little effect until you get to 30+ yards.
The left scale is in “Hold Over.” The bottom is yards from the muzzle. The three arcs are
the most probable trajectory (the middle line) and the upper and lower limits of the
trajectory assuming worst cases of lowest velocity and heaviest pellet (lower line) or
highest velocity and lightest pellet (upper line).
The two red lines are the optimal zero point for an assumed .25” kill zone (pretty small,
actually). In other words, if you forget all about ballistics, using this information says that
you will be just fine from about 20 to 38 yards. You can stretch this distance a bit by
assuming that the top of the arc is at the top of the (assumed) kill zone and the kill zone is
more likely to be ½” then we could forget ballistics if we are shooting anywhere from
about 13 yards to 40 yards. In actuality, kill zones tend to be bigger at longer distances
so, assuming a 2” kill zone at 55 yards, we can forget ballistics from 13 to 54 yards. We
will hit too high sometimes at 30 yards and too low at 13 or 54 yards. Even so, you can
make a lot of “kills” without knowing much of anything about ballistics. [The distances
and hold-over here depend on your gun, scope, and pellet. Don’t assume that any
gun, scope, and pellet will shoot like this!]
28
17. Ballistics (Easy Way)
If we want to be competitive or just apply our knowledge of ballistics, then we would like
to improve our odds of making a “kill” throughout the entire range of distances. We can
go to the range and get some basic information on our gun:
The first step is to shoot at targets spaced every 5 yards from 10 to 55 yards. Adjust your
elevation so that you are hitting your aim point. Record the elevation (clicks) needed to
hit the aim point at each distance. If you are going to use hold-over, do not adjust the
elevation but record the distance between the aim point and point of impact.
You can then estimate the clicks for intermediate yards. Put this on a card you carry with
you all the time while shooting (some people tape it to the stock or laminate and put on a
lanyard). For the hold-over approach, find the highest point-of-impact (usually about 25
to 35 yards) and subtract that distance from all your measurements. Go to the range and
zero your gun (aim point = point-of-impact) at that distance by using the elevation knob.
When shooting, the first step is to determine distance you are shooting. You then look on
your card for that distance to find the hold over or the number of clicks. If you are using
clicks, set the scope elevation knob to the clicks for the distance and shoot.
To make it easier to set/reset the elevation knob, most people will zero their rifle at the
highest point of the pellet trajectory (usually about 25 to 35 yards). They will then set the
elevation knob to “zero” (you will probably be up about 2 turns on the knob so this is not
“absolute zero”). Now, when you adjust for targets closer than (say) 25 yards or further
than (say) 35 yards (between 25 and 35 yards, the elevation setting will be zero in this
example), all adjustments are “up.” This is a huge advantage in helping to remember
where the zero is since all your adjustments will be one direction on the knob.
For example, let’s assume you have gotten the following information when shooting at 5
yard distances from 10 to 55 yards. Your clicks are all on the second turn and there may
not actually be 100 clicks on a turn.
Distance
Clicks
10
249
15
234
20
215
25
211
30
210
35
211
40
213
45
216
50
220
55
224
29
You can see that from 25 to 35 yards there is not much difference in the elevation setting
(and there is probably +/-1 click error in most cases, anyway). We can estimate the clicks
for each yard between 10 and 15 by interpolation. [clicks per intermediate yard = (clicks
at 10 yards – clicks at 15 yards)/5 or (249 – 234)/b = 3 clicks/yard]. Thus, for 11 yards
we estimate 249-3 or 246 clicks, 12 yards is 243, 13 is 240, and 14 is 237. This may not
be absolutely the “truth” but it is good enough. In fact, a ballistics program’s calculations
would be somewhat different because the trajectory is not really a straight line and other
reasons. If you want to be more accurate, either shoot at more yardages or get a ballistics
program to do the calculations for you.
30
18. Ballistics (Hard Way)
Ballistics of a pellet are based on the following parameters:
Speed of pellet
Ballistics Coefficient of pellet (drag)
Height of scope above barrel
In general, you can forget air temperature, pressure, and humidity as these are not major
effects unless you shoot in Denver or Mexico City.
To get this information, measure the pellet speed a few feet from muzzle using a
chronograph. (A Combro muzzle-mounted chronograph is $65 -http://www.combro.co.uk/cb625.html. Shooting Chrony chronographs are about the same
but are “table” mounted.)
Measure the distance from the center of the barrel to the center of the scope.
Measure the speed drop of the pellet over 10 yards (2 chronographs required to do this
well) or lookup Ballistics Coefficient (BC) in various places. The exact value is
something we will adjust later so this is just to start the process.
Plug information into computer program to compute the clicks.
Scopeknob
$15
http://www.compufoil.com/product_sk.html
Chairgun
$0
http://www.fotosoft.co.uk/chairgun/
Chairgun Mobile
$20
A-Team
http://users.bestweb.net/~ateamray/ATEAB_program.htm
$20
http://www.fotosoft.co.uk/chairgun/
There are many others out there – many swear by the A-Team software. I bought the
ScopeKnob program initially and have liked it well-enough to not try the A-Team
program. For free, the Chairgun program is excellent – it just does not make as pretty a
scope knob tape as ScopeKnob.
31
The above came from ScopeKnob. Note that instead of BC it uses Velocity Retention
Factor which is the ratio of the pellet velocity at 10 yards compared to 0 yards (or over
any 10-yard distance). The .972 is for the JSB Exact Heavy pellets I use. The Trajectory
factor is really a constant (gravity, etc.). Muzzle Velocity is measured with a
chronograph. The Zero distance is settable but you usually adjust this so it is the same as
the lowest click distance (so you have 0-clicks at the zero distance). Scope Height is not
measurable to hundredths of an inch – the program can correct for the actual scope height
if you tell it what your error is at about 10 yards. Click Factor is how many moments of
arc your scope has at 100 yards – typically ¼ or 1/8. I like to plug in 1 mph for wind just
for a reference – you never know the wind exactly so it is easier to have a rough
knowledge of what wind will do to a pellet.
Go to range and shoot at zero click distance (top of the pellet arc) and zero gun.
Shoot at 10 yards and determine actual clicks to hit at aim point. This can be used to
correct for scope height errors (and a measured distance is rarely exactly correct since the
actual distance is from the center of the reticule to the centerline of the barrel.
Shoot at 55 yards and determine actual clicks to hit at aim point. This is used to correct
for the VRF or BC – again, the published or measured number is rarely correct. The drag
on a pellet is a complex function that is only approximately modeled by various
equations. Drag is a function of speed and one way to adjust for various inaccuracies in
the drag function is to adjust the pellet coefficient for drag.
Adjust the ballistics coefficient/drag to correct for the 55 yard error. ScopeKnob does this
automatically but all you need do is tweak the BC or VRF numbers so that the predicted
clicks at 50 to 55 yards (whatever you shot at on the range) match what you saw.
Next, if using ScopeKnob or a program that can automatically do the calculations, adjust
scope height to correct for the 10 yard error. If you are using Chairgun or a program
32
without this automatic feature – simply adjust the scope height so the predicted clicks at
10 or 11 yards (for example) match what you actually found on the range.
Go back to range and check again. (The easy way starts to sound better about now.)
Usually, one or two interactions are enough. The most important factor is scope height
since you will be shooting at a small hole and there is very little room for error. Basically,
if your scope height is off by .125” then you will be shooting about 10 clicks off (if using
1/8MOA clicks) or 5 clicks if using 1/4MOA clicks – the distance will be the same – 1/8”
and a probable miss if the kill zone is, say, 3/8”.
ScopeKnob, Chairgun, and A-Team software (among others) can produce a tape for
scaling your elevation knob. While a large knob is better, even a small knob can be
labeled although I suggest using a chart or labeling your distance as clicks if you don’t
have a large knob. Here is an example of a tape from ScopeKnob:
Similar tape from Chairgun (You get what you pay for!).
33
19. Wind
Ballistics can do a pretty good job of predicting the trajectory of a pellet. Good guns
shoot at pretty much a consistent speed. Pellets can vary in weight but most are pretty
consistent. The scope height is not going to change. Thus, the major things that can affect
a pellet’s trajectory are “under control.”
One thing we cannot control is the wind. Ballistics programs can predict what will
happen to a pellet with a given wind. The usual first instinct is to get a wind speed meter
to measure the wind – unfortunately, the wind is not a constant in terms of velocity,
position, or direction. Meters really only work well when the wind is at a constant
velocity, the same along the entire pellet path, and from a constant direction.
Since we have to deal with this, let’s look at what clues are available. A tell-tale on your
gun (piece of yarn, for instance) will tell you what is happening at your gun to some
extent. I find the feel of the wind on my face and the sound are good clues. If I can feel a
breeze at all, I know there is about a 1 mph wind and I can judge whether it is from the
left or right.
Other clues are the leaves, grass, and other movable things affected by the wind. The
advantage of these is that they are located along the entire shooting path so that you can
get clues as to the wind at the target and in between. Another clue is to hold up the reset
string – if you sight along the string you can see if it is bowed to the left or right. It is
difficult to “calibrate” the string but at least you have a clue as to the average wind
direction along the entire pellet path.
Nothing works better than practicing shooting in windy conditions to learn what is going
to happen to a pellet. You will always have cases where you guess wrong, but the more
you shoot in varying conditions, the better your shooting will be. I force myself to shoot
in windy conditions when many would deem it too windy to shoot well. When you have
to hold-off a couple of inches at 50 yards to get a pellet in the kill zone, you will learn
how to shoot well in most conditions.
When it is windy, shoot more shots at 30 to 55 yards. There are some wind effects at 30
or fewer yards, but unless the wind is “strong”, the effects are going to be far more
noticeable at 50 yards than at 30.
When you “don’t have much of a clue” about the wind, one approach is to aim to the side
of the kill zone. If you are pretty sure the wind is from the left but not much else, you can
aim at the left edge of the kill zone and hope for the best.
You will tend to over-estimate the wind. The wind down at ground level where you are
shooting is far slower than what is happening up in the tree-tops. You may hear lots of
wind noise (and maybe the wind is 15 mph at tree-top level); down where you are
shooting, I would doubt that the wind is likely to be more than 5 mph! Only by doing lots
of shooting will you know what is really happening. Even then, some times it is really
just a guess as winds in a tunnel of brush and trees might be one direction where you are
sitting and the opposite direction at the other end where the target is located.
34
Wait for either a lull in the wind or a steady wind. It is hard enough to shoot (and
estimate) in a steady wind but in gusty conditions all bets are generally off. Use your time
at the firing line well – even if you have a timer there is often time to wait out the wind.
When you shoot in the wind, pull the gun a bit tighter against the shoulder and down
against your arm or knee. This will keep the rifle from being blown around quite as
much. A determined pull on the trigger is probably required – you may not be timing
your pull all that much, but when you feel the time is right, make a determined effort to
get off the shot. Wind is not a time to be a perfectionist – when you have a chance for a
shot, take it!
If you see a lot of hits off-center (or off the kill zone), you are probably seeing what the
wind did to your fellow competitor’s pellets. You can use that information to adjust your
aim a corresponding amount toward the opposite direction (into the wind).
If you really want to see some numbers, here are the drift computations per mph for my
Steyr:
Yards Wind Drift (Inches)
15
0.02
20
0.03
25
0.05
30
0.08
35
0.11
40
0.14
45
0.18
50
0.22
55
0.27
35
20. Consistency = Success
Sounds trite but you really need to do the same things every time you shoot. It is very
easy to get distracted and forget a step in your shooting preparation (like forgetting to
load a pellet). Among the things I think are important are:
Always seat your pellets unless your bolt does this when you close it. Having the pellet in
exactly the same position for each shot helps insure consistent pellet speed and probably
smoothes out the skirts to help prevent fliers. I like the Beeman seater above – available
for about $15 anywhere that carries Beeman stuff.
Get into the habit of always following the same mental checklist. If you get interrupted, it
is usually better to start over to make sure that every step has been taken. It is very easy
to forget to set the elevation, for instance, if you are distracted during shot preparation. It
is very easy to have your elevation knob off by one turn if you forget to return the knob to
zero after every shot (or when leaving the lane).
Nothing will mess up your shooting faster than trying out too many things at one time. If
you are making changes, make a change in one thing at a time so you can see what effect
that change alone really has.
When you find a gun, pellet, position, etc. that works – don’t mess around without a plan.
Change for the sake of change is bound to lead to poor shooting.
Practice as much as possible and try to shoot even a few shots every day. (Sounds like
your music teacher, doesn’t it? Same things apply.)
36
21. Sitting Positions
Butt on bag (up to 6” thick and thicker may be better). I like a bean-bag fill since it
conforms to the ground and your butt and is not bouncy. A boat cushion does not work –
too slippery and bouncy. Some people like a short stool – often one set of legs is cut off a
bit to allow the seat to be more level on uneven ground.
Various position variations are possible – the gun can rest on left knee or on top of left
arm. I prefer the arm but try this and other variations to see what works best for you.
Similarly, the gun butt can rest on right shoulder or right knee (if you are very flexible). I
tried the knee but ended up with a crick in my neck.
Wrap arms around knees or otherwise brace your position. This is harder to do in the
rifle-on-the-knee position as seen below. I use a foam pad on my left arm to raise the rifle
a bit and reduce the effects of my pulse on the rifle. I find that the cheapest knee pad at
Home Depot works best for me – again anything that is “bouncy” will not work. You
want a material that absorbs movement and is “lossy” – not like a Superball (which
would be the worst possible material).
The essence of shooting well is to have your body as relaxed as possible while still
maintaining your position. If you have to use major muscles to hold your position, you
will induce shaking and it will be next-to impossible to shoot well. The “bible” on
37
shooting in my opinion is “Ways of the Rifle.” This is a 3-position .22 rifle sport but the
information is very applicable to field target shooting. To summarize the approach:
Get into position and aim the gun. Get relaxed. When you think you are ready, close your
eyes for several seconds. When you reopen them, note where the rifle is aiming. If your
aim has shifted significantly, adjust your body position (don’t twist or use muscles to do
this – move your position). Repeat until the aim point does not move significantly. You
are now ready to shoot. Initially, this will take a few minutes but as you learn your
position, you will speed up the process. It is still a good idea to check your position
briefly before each shot.
Breath control is another major aspect of the shot. You will be holding your breath during
the shot but if you hold your breath for too long, the body starts to think it is dying and
you will begin getting shaky. The ideal is to take the shot from 4 to about 20 seconds
after stopping breathing. To get to this, start with several full breaths (don’t
hyperventilate). Before holding your breath, take a somewhat deeper inhale and exhale,
inhale about a half-breath and exhale until you have about 20% of a breath. You are now
ready to shoot.
The trigger position can be on the ball of the finger or closer to the knuckle. I prefer
closer to the knuckle as I have better control. As in most things about shooting well – try
variations and see what works best for you.
The shot is taken by aligning the sights and squeezing the trigger. If you jerk, you will
“pull” the shot. Ideally, you don’t want to know when the shot is going to occur. This
also allows you to follow-through on the shot – keep aiming and watch for the pellet hit.
This will reduce the tendency for you to anticipate the shot and has the added advantage
of letting you see what happened to the shot – if the wind threw the shot off, you can
correct the next shot. If you can’t see where a shot hits, you don’t have a clue as to what
will help improve the next shot.
Here is what http://www.smallbore.20m.com/smallbore_rifle/smallbore_rifle.html says
about small-bore shooting (this was originally about prone shooting but I have modified it
for the FT sitting position):
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FT SITTING POSITION:
GENERAL: The butt is in contact with the butt cushion and the feet are bracing the
position. The low center of gravity of the body produces a very stable position. A perfect
shooting position does not exist, but a general compromise of basic position procedures
or tenets of construction do exist for the shooting shooter.
BODY The body is sitting with the trunk basically upright. The body points roughly 45%
to the right of the lane so that the left knee and the right shoulder form a line to the target.
The feet are in contact with the ground and are positioned approximately 120 degrees
apart but relatively close to the body with the knees bent. If any part of the body is
awkwardly positioned, cramps will occur or muscles will be overly stressed causing a
snap release upon the firing of the rifle, and resulting in flipping the rifle off of the
sighted target kill zone. An upright body position allows one to breathe more easily and
promotes good shooting.
38
The left arm on the left knee or the left knee supports most of the weight of the rifle. The
right shoulder will support the rest of the weight (or the right knee – but then the weight
distribution can be more like 50-50).
The left shin should be relatively vertical to promote as solid a support for the rifle as
possible (bone to ground rule).
The right arm is wrapped around the right knee and is grasped lightly by the left hand to
brace the body and knees into a single unit.
RIGHT HAND The right hand must not exert lateral pressure on the rifle stock but will
pull the stock back against the shoulder for firm contact. The degree of firmness used will
depend upon the manner of firing, the trigger resistance the individual firing technique. If
trigger pull resistance is high, the shooter will grip the rifle firmly and if the trigger pull
resistance is low, the shooter will grip the rifle lightly (I like a firmer grip even with a
light trigger pull as this reduces any effects on the rifle of trigger finger movement.).
Always use identical pressure during competition. The right hand must grasp the rifle
stock grip in such a manner that the movements of the trigger finger is directly to the rear.
A key point here is that the two inter fingers are firmly pulled against the grip in order to
lock the wrist during the firing sequence. The locking of the wrist will firm the right hand
and arm system. A good way to test and learn this function is to shake hands with a friend
and pulling firmly with the two inner fingers, the shooter will note the wrist will firm or
lock solid depending upon the pressure applied. While this is normally used in pistol
shooting, it equally applies to the rifle shooter as well.
HEAD POSITION The head position must be comfortable and relaxed. I prefer shooting
off the shoulder since my neck is more relaxed.
BEHAVIOR OF WEAPON DURING SHOOTING In a steady relaxed position, the
muzzle of the rifle will point at the target even when you close your eyes. If the aim point
moves when you close your eyes, adjust your body position as necessary (but keeping as
relaxed as possible) to adjust for the aiming error and retry closing your eyes.
39
22. Offhand Position
Construction of the standing or off hand shooting position
GENERAL It is said this is the most difficult of all the shooting positions. As a result of
uneven ground, wind, and a very high center of gravity, both the body and the rifle are
subjected to considerable movement. The standing position requires a highly perfected
firing technique, a properly balanced body, perfect rifle positioning, and non-dominant
mental control over the neuromuscular systems. The standing shooter must be able to use
the non-dominant mind to stabilize the standing position. Above all the standing position
must be balanced and serenely quiet with bone-to-bone contact. The position or body has
a natural sway in its attempt to become stable. It is never without movement or perfectly
quiet. However, it is possible for the shooter to stop body sway from one half to one
second. During this brief period the body stops all movement and is as stable as the prone
position. This is accomplished by the non-dominant mental entities direct control over the
neuromuscular system. It is very easy to accomplish and as it can be used in every
position including prone, there is no reason why you can’t hit 75% or more of your
offhand shots.
BUILDING THE POSITION (for right handed shooting) The standing position is
established in the following manner. Feet pointing 80 to 90 degrees to the right of a
reference line commencing from the target to the firing point. The upper body turns to the
left about 1 to 4 degrees and the rifle firing across the shooters chest and pointing
approximately 1 to 5 degrees away from the chest. The degrees specified are dependent
upon the structure and build of the shooting shooter. Rifle and rifle stock forward of the
pistol grip may not rest against the chest. Care must be taken to keep the trigger hand
away from the body during the firing sequence.
BODY POSITION The shooter leans the body slightly (1 to 3 degrees) backwards and to
the right, in order to balance the weight of the rifle if necessary. Generally speaking the
shooter does not have to lean backwards as long as the even distribution of weight on the
legs is accomplished with the purpose of ensuring a balanced stance. In many cases a
more upright position with just a slight counter balancing is all that is necessary for
stabilizing the position. The feet will only be the width of the shooter shoulders. No wider
than the shoulders. Bone-to-bone structure is required in the construction of the position
and during the firing sequence, the lungs exhaust all air from the lungs until a balance has
been achieved. During this phase, the spine is compressed (slump down a bit) to finalize
the body shooting structure.
HIPS As the body is leaning slightly backward, the hip is thrust forward a little, serving
as a support for the left elbow. The last statement is always held as a truth, but, in actual
practice the hip is never used in support of the left elbow. The left elbow in fact makes
contact with the rib cage and rests on not less than three of the ribs. The amount by which
the hip is moved forwards and the body is moved backwards will depend on the build of
the shooter. An athletic person (wide shoulders, narrow hips) will move further back for
example than a person with very slim hips. The hips are always level.
40
SPINE The spine generally holds the body torso together and forms a support structure
for the torso. Within the athletic position the shooter will find increased stability by
compressing the spine during the optimum firing time. The spine is compressed by
exhausting the lungs to achieve lung balance and of course the spine will again expand
upon the inhaling of new air into the lungs. Excessive twist or back bending for achieving
balance will cause the shooting shooter trouble in that the shooter’s endurance will be
shortened during the stress and strain of the excessive twist and muscle restriction.
LEFT ARM The left arm is tucked firmly against the left ribs and directly below the rifle.
This means the weight of the rifle is supported by the bone structure of the left arm and is
not supported by muscular effort. It is very important for a stable stance with the rifle,
that the muscles of the left hand and left arm are completely relaxed, and the rifle rest on
the thumb ball joint. The left arm forms a pedestal in support of the bone rifle system.
The rifle is further stabilized by firmly holding the rifle stock between the pistol grip and
butt assembly against the chest and shoulder or hook under the arm.
KNEE The total weight of the left arm and rifle is supported by the left leg. The upper
and lower parts of the leg is straight and the knee is in a normal position. This position
must not be forced, otherwise the stable bone-to-bone structure from forearm to the foot
will be broken and the position will become unstable. The knees will be subject to
considerable stress if they are flexed.
FOOT POSITIONING The feet will be in normal position with the feet not wider than
the shooter’s shoulders. A wider foot position will produce stress and is unstable for the
shooter. The feet moved closer together will increase body vibrations and make it
difficult to correct the overall balance. The shooter moves the weight mass on the balls of
the feet in this manner. Sixty-five percent of the body weight is positioned on the ball of
the foot and the remaining thirty-five percent on the shooter’s heel.
ANKLES The ankles are the most vulnerable part of the standing position. For this
reason, they must be supported by suitable footwear. Leather uppers of the shoes must
support the foot and restrict the amount of movement of the ankle. The weight is
distributed evenly on both legs. The ankles are the most overlooked portion of the
standing position in that the shooter seldom uses shoes that will support the shooter’s
ankle and the position.
POSITIONING OF THE HEAD It is a well known the body balance is detected by the
ears (hammer and anvil transducer). This means that the head must be erect for body
balance maintenance. The balance as we know it is not the balance required by a
competitive shooter. The competitive balance required by the shooter is controlled by the
non-dominant mind and will last ½ to ¾ of a second. The shooter must time the shot to
occur in a two second or less one-shot match in each match shooting position during a
competition.
NOTE FUNCTION: The shooter does not therefore lower the head onto the rifle but
bring the rifle to the shooters head. The saying is bring the rifle to the head, never the
head to the rifle.
41
RIGHT SHOULDER The standing shooting position, the shoulders must be relaxed and
at right angles to the spine including parallel to a line between the target to firing point.
The spine must be compressed in order to achieve bone-to-bone contact and stabilize the
standing position. This requires compression of the spine when the lungs has expelled the
air to a point when the lung balanced and failing in its attempt to inhale or exhale.
RIGHT ARM The standing position, a good shoulder contact is important. But it is not
always easy when the shoulders are almost parallel to the rifle stock for the hook or but
assembly to be held securely under the arm or against the biceps and ball of the shoulder.
Even with the shoulder pushed forward, the area of contact is not large enough.
The only solution is for the right arm to be slightly raised allowing physical contact and
achieving rifle control during the optimum firing period in standard rifle and the arm
down when using the hook under the arm. This resistance is necessary in order to reduce
or eliminate rearward movement of the rifle as a result of the trigger pull or the breaking
of the shot.
RIGHT HAND The right hand holds the rifle stock securely from one-shot match to the
next one-shot match. The fingers must remain in their natural, curved position all the
time. If the finger muscles are flexed, a `hook' is formed . The grip is firm, as the
outstretched muscles of the open hand do not tire as easily as in the clenched hand.
Furthermore, when the hand is clenched, the muscles of the lower arm are flexed and this
must be avoided at all costs. The `hook' formed by the fingers holding the hand grip of
the stock, and depending on the type of rifle, pulls the rifle stock firmly into the shoulder
or upper arm using the middle two fingers of the right hand. The thumb lies loosely
against the stock. As in the kneeling and prone positions, the wrist is extended in a
natural position. The right index finger should not press against the stock. The slight
movements caused by the trigger pull could easily be transmitted to the stock thereby
causing lateral movements. This could cause or result in complete misses.
LEFT HAND The success of the entire position depends principally on the position of the
left hand. It is the left hand that determines the steadiness of the rifle position, final height
of the position and final stance of the shooter. There are many different possible
combinations of hand an finger positions.
NOTE: Possible left-hand grips during a match.
a. The palm of the left hand is turned forwards, the lower arm muscles are relaxed and the
weapon is supported. This is not recommended as it places excessive strain upon the
muscles and therewith restrict the abilities of the left arm during position construction and
functional work.
b. The rifle is held with its weight directly supported by the forearm, palm facing toward
the body and upturned with the rifle resting on the thumb ball joint. Arm muscles are
again relaxed. As the rifle rest on the ball joint of the up turned palm, the shooters fingers
are curved in contour of the stock without direct contact or griping by the fingers on the
rifle stock.
Preferred method and currently used by World Class Shooters.
42
c. The weight of the rifle rests securely on the back of the hand, and thereby on the
forearm. Palm is facing the body and the rifle is resting on the knuckles with the fingers
pointing to the rear parallel to the rifle stock. This method is also not recommended to the
shooting shooter.
PRESENTATION OF THE RIFLE IN THE STANDING POSITION
A problem arises in rifle presentation during the construction of the standing position.
The big question by many shooting shooters is what is the rifle doing in relation to the
body. We will review the possible methods used in placement of the rifle in the position.
1. The rifle is presented while using the shoulder pocket of the right shoulder. Such a use
of the shoulder will make the rifle presentation point 3 to 15 degrees away from the chest
and requires the body to twist excessively to the left in compensation for the rifle
presentation of 3 to 15 degrees during position usage. The right arm will position itself
along the left center of the ribcage.
2. The rifle is presented while lying across the chest while insuring the trigger hand and
finger will not touch the body. This presentation of the rifle requires the rifle stock butt to
be placed at the upper arm instead of the right shoulder pocket. The preferred method and
one that is used successfully by current World Class Shooters. Care must be exercised
when placing the left arm down outside the rib cage. The arm can slip during the firing
procedure upsetting the rifle presentation and point of aim. In this case the butt hook is
placed under the arm but not in the arm pit. The arm can be dropped to the side as a test
to determine if the hook is positioned correctly without changing the rifle position or
aiming point.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
Item 1 has the ADVANTAGE of placing the left arm into a fixed position which has a
buttress of muscles for preventing the arm from sliding or otherwise moving during the
firing sequences. This method locks the left arm into location. The DISADVANTAGE is
the rifle must point out and away of the shooting position causing stress and tensions on
the shooting position. The procedure also increases the twist of the spine causing
additional uncomfortable stress during shooting sequences. Item 2. has the
ADVANTAGE of placing the left arm in one of two places on the rib cage, left center
and left side rib cage. Additionally, the rifle is moved closer to the body thereby reducing
the 3 to 5 degree rifle position away from the body and reducing the amount of spine
twist required during the shooting sequences. The DISADVANTAGE is the rifle is closer
to the body and the shooter must be careful not to violate the rules by allowing the rifle to
touch the body in front of the trigger hand grip and the forward portion of the rifle. This
also includes the trigger hand touching or being supported by any part of the body during
the shooting competition. Otherwise this is the preferred shooting position of world class
shooting shooters.
COMPETITIVE SHOOTING IS 98% MENTAL, 2 % PHYSICAL AND 100%
SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE.
43
23. Kneeling
Construction of the Kneeling Shooting Position
Most FT shooters dislike the kneeling position probably because of lack of practice and
the pressure on the ground knee. We relax the NRA rules and allow the ground knee to
rest on the bum bag and are not as fussy about the right ankle placement and how vertical
it is kept.
Taking the position: KNEELING
GENERAL As a general rule, the results of firing from the kneeling position will be as
perfect and stable as the prone position. However, untrained shooters will find it very
difficult at first to maintain their position during competition. Aching occurs in the foot,
leg, and buttocks, which sometimes result in reduced concentration and less effective
holding-aiming-firing sequence. Provided the position is constructed correctly, problems
of this nature can be corrected during training. If the kneeling position is balanced and the
neurophysiological system is used by the non-dominant entity, the Quiet Zone will appear
for a brief period as the lungs become balanced. This period is normally ½ to ¾ of a
second long and then leaves. After a period of time the shooter will have to start the
shooting sequence again as the Quiet Zone will not reappear until the shooter has again
restarted the shooting position. How can a shooter prepare for the kneeling position?
Simple, take the kneeling position in front the television without the rifle. While the
shooter watches the TV program the leg muscles will stretch and ease the discomfort to
the shooter. About a week of this and the shooter will be ready to shoot the perfect bull'seye in the kneeling. Remember, the goal is to fire 6 one-shot matches (assuming 6 shots
per lane and all shots are kneeling) resulting in perfect bull's-eye without a miss.
On the range the shooting shooter takes the position pointing 20 to 30 degrees to the right
of target. The rifle is balanced as in other positions just at the front of the trigger guard. If
the hook or butt plate must be extended the necessary movement of the counter weights
must be accomplished. The natural point of aim is taken by assuming the kneeling
position and looking through the thumb and index finger at the bull. The natural point of
aim is seen as the black bull fills the space between the thumb and index finger. The left
knee will also be pointing at the bull down range. The balance of the position and rifle
fall into two lines of balance. The rifle balance starts at the central balance point at the
front of the trigger guard and continues on a direct line through the left elbow and left
knee to a point just forward of the left heel of the left foot. The position point of balance
starts a point of neck and shoulders, continuing on a direct line to the floor point half way
between the right and left feet. The rifle balance line is a Sub-balance line of the main
position balance line.
SPINE The spine is slightly inclined forwards, so the full weight of the body rests
exactly on the three-point position "left foot - right knee - right foot" and is balanced
evenly. The shoulders hang loosely forwards and relaxed in their relationship to the
backbone/spine, forming, as in the prone position, the shoulders at right angles to the
spine/backbone.
44
NOTE FUNCTION: If the spine and shoulders are not at right angles to one
another during the position construction and shooting, considerable lateral
instability will have to be expected.
The backbone/spine must be relaxed and yet not hunched. It should be slightly bent
without the muscles having to be flexed. This is important, as the stability of the shooting
position is dependent upon the shooter's construction of the perfect shooting position and
receiving the perfect bull's-eye. The Quiet Zone appears as the lungs approach perfect
balance, air neither inhale or exhale. The rifle is perfectly sighted, lungs are in perfect
balance, the Quiet Zone arrives, trigger is pulled straight to the rear, validate the shooting
process and the perfect bull's-eye.
LEFT FOOT The left foot must be directly below the rifle and at an angle of 20 to 30
degrees to the right of target. In this way, the position of the leg is at its most stable. Here,
as in standing, the kneeling position requires a good pair of flat sole and ankle supporting
shoes to wear during shooting. They are for shooting only and not walking. A second pair
of shooting shoes will be used for training and may be scuffed and for walking around the
range if the shooter wants. The match shoes must always be protected from damaged.
LEFT LEG The left leg must be vertical, or depending upon the body size, inclined
slightly forwards below the rifle. No sideways or lateral movement of the leg is permitted
RIGHT FOOT The right foot must be straight, or with the heel slightly turned outward,
and resting on the tip. A kneeling roll supports the instep, the toe presses firmly on the
ground and the heel presses directly onto the bone of the right buttock (bone-to-bone
support). The sole of the shoe must be firm, as it is only in this way that the body is
supported at the ground point of contact, and the weight of the body has three effective
and stable supporting points. As with the left foot, a pair of shooting boots must be worn
to reinforce the shooting position.
KNEELING ROLL FT shooters don’t normally have a kneeling roll but use the bum
bag as a support. As long as the left foot and the right toe are in contact with the ground,
that is usually a legal shot. There are no position police in FT (most of the time) so as
long as you are reasonably kneeling, nobody is really going to care too much what you
are doing with your right foot and ankle.
RIGHT LEG The position of the right leg in relation to the left leg should form an angle
of about 30 to 40 degrees. This angle may be difficult for some shooters and it can be
reduced. If the angle of 40 degrees is exceeded, excessive weight is transferred to the
front and onto the left leg. Each shooter must experiment and find out which is the ideal
angle for the shooter.
BUTTOCKS As already indicated, the bone-to-bone of the right buttock should rest on
the heel of the right shoe. This makes a stable connection between the bone structure and
the ground through the foot.
LEFT ARM The left elbow is placed in the hollow between the kneecap and the femur.
The left forearm rest on the extension of the femur. The weight of the rifle is therefore
transmitted directly to a stable base, the thigh.
45
LEFT HAND The rifle stock rest on the ball of the thumb. The fingers are completely
relaxed and do not touch the stock. All flexing of the hand muscles is to be avoided, as it
can affect the steadiness of the position.
RIGHT ARM/SHOULDER It is the right arm, and thereby the right hand, that has the
ultimate responsibility for firing and also for ensuring a proper shoulder contact. The
shoulder contact must be made without muscles being flexed. The necessary pressure on
shoulder is brought about by the weight of a completely relaxed right arm; the right hand
holds securely onto the pistol grip stock with two middle fingers. The majority of the
mistakes occur in the kneeling position because the shoulder is too high and in a cramp
position. The reason for this is to be found in shoulder position adjustment during the
construction of the shooting position. The rifle butt or butt hook is placed into the
shoulder pocket of the right or left shoulder. Care must be taken in Big-bore that the rifle
butt is not located on or in contact with the collarbone going to the neck. The Butt-hook
is placed in such a way that the hook lies next to the ribcage and not tightly under the arm
pit.
RIGHT HAND The thumb of the right hand, without pressure being applied, rest on the
rifle stock. The index finger is on the trigger, has no contact with the stock. The rifle is
only drawn into the shoulder by the middle two fingers. The right wrist is extended and
acts as a direct extension of the lower arm. The hand grasps the grip of the stock and the
trigger finger pulls directly backwards. As in the other positions, the two inner fingers are
pulled against the grip to firm or lock the wrist during the firing sequence. Lastly, the
trigger hand and arm is in a straight line, which includes the wrist. The thumb and index
finger forms an L with the trigger finger parallel with the rifle stock and ready to engage
the trigger.
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION OF BODY The weight of the body and the rifle is
distributed evenly between the three bearing points `left foot, right knee, right foot tip or
instep with roll'. As a result of the space between these points, the main weight lies within
the triangle. In this way, the position has maximum stability. We acknowledge that every
shooter varies a little. This is not a problem, as the shooter must adjust the rifle until the
sighting path is clear through the rear sights. The shooter must remember the rifle
movement (cant if any) cannot exceed 2 degrees without the movement changing the
sights and sight zero. Normally, a cant is not required if the position is correctly
established and the stock is correctly sized to the shooting shooter. Because of the nature
of the kneeling position rifle orientation occurs naturally, however, if the sight does not
fall on the target bull naturally, the whole shooting position must be reconstructed. A
straight line from the right shoulder or upper right arm through the left hand, left elbow
and left knee to the target.
46
24. IFP Targets
47
49
50
25. My Bookmarks
This is a selection of what is provided as a FTIntroduction.htm bookmark file that can be
imported into your browser.
Ballistics
Airgun Information - Velocity & Energy of the Beeman-FWB P70 Field Target Air Rifle
AirgunExpo.com Calculators
ChairGun - Index Page
External Airgun Ballisitcs
Ian Pellant's Ballistics program
Forums
Airgun Forum
CUSTOM AIRGUN FORUM - @ www.aimoo.com
Field Target Forum
TargetTalk Index
Magazines
Addictive Airgunning
Manufacturers
FX Airguns - High Quality Products From Sweden
Hill Pumps - Air Rifle Pump
Schedules
A Team FT Match Schedule
Airgunning Atlanta - AAFTA Field Target Club
DAFTC VA
Delaware Valley PA Calendar
DELRAN JUNIOR MARKSMAN
DIFTA
Eastern Nebraska Airgunners Field Target
EFTCC page
IWLA-WAC Calendar By Chuckaroo
Kermit Airgun Club
Tennessee Valley Airgunners
Welcome to the2003 International Airgun Exposition
WV -- Mountain State FTA
WWCCA
Shopping
Auctions
Addictive Classifieds !
American Airguns Classified Ads Page
Auction Arms - The Largest Firearms Auction Website on the Internet.
classifieds
Fun Supply's Airgun Classifieds
GunBroker.com
Mac
Neal Johnson's Gunsmithing, Inc.
Nygord Precision Products Inc.- The Winner's Edge
TargetShooting Canada A Canadian Bullseye Resource
USED AIR GUNS - WILLIAMS GUNSIGHT COMPANY
Beanbag
Kmart.com - Beanbag Refill
www.beanbag.com Bean Bag City ... Beanbag chairs, bean bag furniture, filler, and refill
Chronographs
Airsoftshop $77
Pellets
51
AIRGUNS ONLY The Canadian connection for STEYR, MORINI, WALTHER and
PARDINI
Airhog Pellets
TopGun Airguns
Scopes
ABO (USA), INC.
Airgunsonly.com On-Line Ordering - MilPro 56 Hi-Mag FT - Canada Post eStore
Bear Basin
Discount Binoculars, Rifle Scopes, Night Vision, Rangefinders
Discount Scopes-Leupold scopes Nikon scopes Bushnell scopes Burris scopes
Google Directory - Shopping Recreation Guns Accessories Optics
i-cuff Purchase
Kueng Airguns - Merchandise Shop.
Legacy Sports International Product Catalog
Melles Griot - Home
Opticswarehouse Hawke Telescopic Sights
PARSONS SCOPE SERVICE
Pentax 8.5X-32X AO Lightseeker-30 Rifle Scope
Pentax Lightseeker$729
Pentax Lightseeker-30 8.5-32x50mm Rifle Scope with FREE UPS
Premier Reticules, Ltd. - Custom Reticules & Leupold Sscopes
Premier Reticules
Riflescopes.com - Homepage - Rifle scopes, binoculars, and laser range finders or
spotting scopes
Scope Repair Services
SSRelay Hawke L339
Swarovski Laser Ranging Scope
T. K. LEE COMPANY
Tasco Optical Product Repair
Unertl Optics pricing
US Optics custom scopes
USA Optics
Used Unertl Scopes
Wolf Tactical
World's Largest Online Optics Clearance Site
ShootingCoats
Center Shot Sports
Champion's Choice Shooting Coats & Pants - NRA & I.S.S.F. NRA Colth - Shooting
Coat & Pants
Creedmoor Jacket Design Step 1
equipment for serious marksmanship target shooting
Tank Stuff
Luxfer Aluminum Limited 106 absolutescubadivingequipment.com Scuba Gear
Targets
AfterHours -- Dick Otten Targets
airgun air rifle air pistol shooting animal targets home page
Airhog Field Targets
Dick Otten
Edelmann Price List
Falcon Machining Free Targets
National Target Company - Home
Unique Targets at Airgun Express
1st Shooting Supplies
Addictive Airgunning
Advanced Precision Products
Air Gun Gallery (Canada)
52
Air Rifle Network - Air Rifles -Catalogs, Air Rifles -Dealers, Air Rifles -Models, Air Rifle Info,
Discount Air Rifles
Airgun Depot
Airgun Express - Airguns, Pellets, Scopes, Targets, Shooting Accessories, RWS, Beeman, Gamo,
Crosman
Airguns - Discount Air Guns, Beeman Air Rifles, RWS Airguns, Airgun Sale, Buy Air Guns,
High Velocity Air Guns
Airguns of Arizona - Precision Air Rifles, Pistols, Pellets
AIRGUNS ONLY The Canadian connection for STEYR, MORINI, WALTHER and PARDINI
Airhog Airguns and Pneumatic Rifles
ATEAM Product & Technical Info
Bad Brads
Best Airgun's Air Rifles, Pellets and Scopes
BKL Technologies, Inc.
Brenzovich Firearms & Training Center
Bryan and Associates -- bulk fill too
Cabela's -- Home
Center Shot Sports
Century Spring Corp. - FTP30E TP8175
Chambers Gunmakers
Champion Shooters Supply... Welcome!
Champion's Choice
CheaperThanDirt.com
Cobra Airguns
Combro
Compasseco, Inc.
Creedmoor Sports
Crooked Barn Airguns
D&R Sports Center
DaveG - FT Accessories and Custom Stocks
Diamondback Guns - Home Page
E. Arthur Brown Company - Custom Guns & Accessories
Fieldtargets
Fun Supply airguns
Gehmann • shooting ahead - products
Graco
GunAccessories.com
Gunfinder, Buy Guns at Dealer Cost + 10% on all pistols rifles shotguns guns and firearms.
Litts.co.uk
Mac1 Airgun Distributors
Maccari Custom Airgun Shop
McMaster-Carr
MEC-Welcome to mec-shot.com
MidwayUSA-Ammunition,shooting,reloading, & gunsmithing supplies,equipment & gear. Shop
for & buy them here!
Natchez Online
Neal Johnson's Gunsmithing, Inc. Online Target Shooting Equipment Manual
Newbold, Inc. Self-Sealing Pistol and Rifle Targets
Nygord Precision Products Inc.- The Winner's Edge
OTS online main menu
Outdoor Super Store - Archery, Hunting, Marine, Camping, Shooting, Fishing
PaperPuncher
Pellet Trap - Pellets and Air Rifles
Pilkguns Target Equipment and Ammo
Pomona Air Guns Online
Precision Sports
53
Pyramid Air
Quackenbush Air Guns
R&R Arms
Rifle scopes, binoculars, and laser range finders or spotting scopes
Ron Juneau's Cajun Targets Home Page
Shooters' GunXchange Airguns
ShootersCatalogue.com - Outdoor Super Store, Free downloadable catalogs and on-line store
Shooting accessories -- PatchWorm
Shooting Chrony Inc. · Home Page · Multi-scale Charge Ltd.
Silver Streak
Small Parts
South Summit has remanufactured
Sportsman's Guide catalog
Steyr LG100 Field Target
Straight Shooters Product and Features Menu
Sunshine Airguns - providing a variety of airguns. Featuring the Shark line of Airguns from
Argentina, Airgun Illustrated Magaz
SWFA
Tactical,Military & AirSoft Accessories shopping online - Uscav Coupons-Promotions
target shooting jacket rifle range equipment gear camp perry nra dcra bisley duty bags
Target Shooting Products.com
TECH FORCE AIR RIFLES
Theoben Air Rifles
TJ General Store Rifle Scopes, Rangefinders, Reloading Equipment, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes,
GPS, Laser Sights, Bipods, and
Top Gun Air Guns Inc. Home Page
ULTIMATE OUTDOORS-Everything for Shooting, Hunting, & Law Enforcement. Including
firearms, ammo, optics, & knives.
Wholesale Hunter
Xisico - US
General Information
Airgun Society
AIRGUN TUNE-UP MEISTER - Tuning, Power Tuning, Repairs, and More
Airgun.org
Airguninfo.com
Airgunology and the Scientist
American Airgun Field Target Association (AAFTA)
BENCHREST CENTRAL
Compare Air Rifles Reviews at Review Centre
Google Directory - Recreation Guns Airguns
Open Directory - Recreation Guns Airguns
Shooting STARS web pages
Steyr ZMLG100 Field Target
The American Airgun Hunter
UKAirguns
54